


Like Real People Do

by shykylosolo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Cuddles, F/M, fluffy as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 05:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13264335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shykylosolo/pseuds/shykylosolo
Summary: Ben pales as he realizes what is happening. He allows the bond to open a little bit, which he hasn’t allowed since she had shut the door of that damn trash bucket in his face, and almost fell over at the overwhelming feeling of panic and not being able to breathe.





	Like Real People Do

 

Ben can feel panic rising in himself and he looks around curiously, wondering if the force is trying to tell him something. Maybe an attack is about to happen or someone is doing something that will tell the Resistance that the First Order is currently in shambles and in the midst of a civil war. His private quarters seem fine though, and he’s not hearing anything over the comms that sound like an attack. Ben usually felt at peace in war, understanding war strategies and tactically thinking through all possible scenarios. Not everything could be planned for, of course, but he knew this anxiety wasn’t coming from him.

Ben pales as he realizes what is happening. He allows the bond to open a little bit, which he hasn’t allowed since she had shut the door of that damn trash bucket in his face, and almost falls over at the overwhelming feeling of panic and not being able to breathe. Ben helplessly feels himself be pulled to her through the bond, feeling the string contract to bring them together once again. It had been six months and they had managed to close themselves off from one another, but this was something neither of them could change.

When she appears, Ben sucks in a breath tightly, unable to breathe due to her feelings flowing through the bond like a fucking waterfall. He seems to be in her private room at some Rebel base on some godforsaken planet that he has no idea to figure out the name of. If he knew, he’d end up going there in real life, and neither of them needed that.

“Rey,” he starts, and the way she recoils makes Ben immediately stop in his tracks and curl his hand back towards himself. She’s shuddering and he watches her struggle to try to breathe in and he has to move or she’s going to stop breathing and then his life will actually be worthless.

“Rey, you have to calm down. You’re having a panic attack, but it’s all going to be okay.” Rey makes a guttural noise and Ben knows she wishes more than anything that he wasn’t here to see her being so weak, and he growls as those thoughts enter his mind.

“You aren’t being weak, this happens to so many people, Rey. I had panic attacks when I was little, that’s how I know what you’re going through. I know you hate me but I need you to trust me, okay? Focus on your breathing. In and out, there you go.” Ben feels like he’s talking to the most frightened animal he’s ever seen in his life, but she listens to him, though it seems like it pains her. He guides her through some breathing, but something new must have come back up because she wails in anguish and sobs wrack through her body again.

Ben doesn’t know what to do for a second, looking around like something is going to jump out and tell him how to magically fix this. Then, he remembers what his mother used to do when he had these attacks. She had always known, could feel it through their own bond in the force, and he had never loved his mother more than when she had helped him through the attacks. He almost wishes she was here now to help him.

“Rey, I’m going to touch you, okay, I need you to nod if that’s okay.” Ben knows just reaching out and grabbing her would probably make it worse. He reaches towards Rey’s bed and grabs her pillows and blanket and waits for her response. She looks into his eyes and gives him the slightest of nods and Ben sighs in relief before reaching out for her.

He situates himself behind her and tucks her head under his chin, wrapping his arms and her blanket around her. “Hold on to the blanket, it will help,” he instructs her, letting his hand fall to her back to rub it slowly but with pressure. She gasps as his hand touched her back, but she quickly melts into it and Ben wondered what the hell had gotten her so worked up. Her fingers clench into the blanket so hard he thinks she might rip it.

“It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart,” He whispers to her, feeling her sobs start to settle slightly. He continus whispering things to her, letting his hands rub her back and arms, warming up her icy skin. Her shuddering breaths worry him, and he tries to let calm flow through their bond without directly manipulating her feelings.

“You’re going to be okay, just breathe,”

“In and out, just like that, sweetheart, good,”

“Let it all go, it’s okay, you’re safe.”

 

Rey’s breaths begin to get more regular and he rocks back and forth, trying to help her relax and let go of whatever was causing this. He relishes in how tiny she feels against him, in how easy it was to pull her against him to comfort her in the only way he knew how.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers into his chest, and Ben wants to kill whatever or whomever made her think that she has to be sorry for this. She feels his anger and starts to pull away a little, but Ben pulls her back, not willing to let her relax yet. 

“There is absolutely no reason for you to be sorry, sweetheart. We can talk about it, if you want. We don’t have to do if you don’t want to though. I’ll understand if you want me to sit in a corner and wait for the force to push me out.” Before he had even finished his last sentence, Rey was shaking her head and her eyes bunched up like she was going to start crying again.

“Please don’t leave me, Ben.” She looks up at him and Ben feels his world falling apart with each tear that comes out of her eyes. She turns slightly so she can wrap her own arms around his neck and shoves her face into his shoulder. He briefly thinks about the fact that she’s going to make a mess out of his shirt, before realizing that he doesn’t care at all.

“I killed everyone, Ben. Luke, General Organa, Poe, Finn… you. It was the worst nightmare I’ve ever had. I let the dark side take me and I killed all of you,” she starts to cry again and Ben absentmindedly runs his fingers through her hair. “I couldn’t control myself at all, and I killed everyone I care about and I couldn’t stop it…”  She sucks in a breath and Ben can tell she’s about to fall apart again and he grabs the back of her head lightly and makes her look at him.

“Shhh, Rey, it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m still alive, Luke and Leia are still alive, I’m sure Poe and Finn are sleeping in their bunks right now. You’re okay, your light side force hasn’t disappeared.” He watches as more tears fall down her face and he wipes them away, glad he hadn’t been dressed in his full outfit when the crisis happened.

“Do you wanna lay down?” He asks her, noticing the dark circles below her eyes and how pale she still looks. Rey just shoves her face into his shoulder again and he lets her use his shirt as a tissue for a little bit longer. 

“Only if you lay down with me, Ben. Please don’t go, I don’t want to be alone.” Rey looks up at him helplessly and Ben can’t resist her red rimmed eyes that still shine with unshed tears. “You’re not alone, Rey. You never will be. Stay right here, let me get your bed ready.”

Ben gets up and grabs the pillows he’d brought down to the floor for them to lean against and puts them on the bed. He then bends down and picks Rey up bridal style, setting her on the bed gently. She gasps as he picks her up, and her muscles strain like she wants to fight against him before she realizes his intent.

“Do you want tea or anything? My uh, mom used to make it for me after my episodes.” Ben looks almost sad the confession, remembering how his mother used to take care of him. “Stop stalling and just come hold me please.” Rey stares right through his soul, seeing his nervousness at laying down with her. Her voice cracks when she says please and he can’t help but remember when their roles were reversed.

Ben sits on the bed and removes his boots and looks over at her before muttering, “fuck it,” and taking his shirt off as well. His left side was almost completely soaked with snot and tears and he didn’t have a replacement. She squeaks as his skin is revealed and when he looks over at her, he’s delighted to notice a slight blush on her cheeks.

He lays down and pulls her half on top of him. His arm is around her shoulders and her face is smushed into his right pectoral muscle. He feels Rey sink into the touch and her breath warm against his chest as he tries to pull her even closer. Ben hasn’t had physical touch since they touched on Ahch-to, and before that he didn’t even know when the last time he’d been touched was.

Rey hesitantly brought her hand up to rest on his chest, her fingers gliding over his scars.  Ben holds his breath, trying not to react to her soft fingers caressing his skin that was marred by 12 years of battles and Supreme Leader Snoke. He brings his hand up to catch hers and she immediately stops. “I’m sorry, I just…wanted to touch.” Ben understands what she means, but he doesn’t know how to explain to her that her touch is the one thing he’s craved for the last 6 months and that once she gives it to him he’ll never be able to go without it again. The only way for her to understand would be to show her. 

He leans down and pushes his forehead against her, showing her his thoughts from the past months. She gasps as she feels his want and shame and love press into her mind. Her face turns up to his and she can’t help what’s about to happen, knowing that their separate tumultuous roads have brought them here to this very point for a reason.

Their lips meet and it’s like the perfect summer day, with a light breeze and just the right amount of sun. It’s swimming in a creek in the spring and cuddling inside in the winter. It’s the perfect balance of light and dark, swirling around them as their lips press against each other’s. Both of them gasp before leaning back in.

 

 

 

Outside Rey’s door, Leia Organa-Solo smiles tightly, feeling the force become quiet and warm, almost as though it’s pleased with itself. _Well, it might have taken a while, but we did it Han. We got our son back._

**Author's Note:**

> I had a panic attack and got inspired bc apparently Reylo is life even when you feel like you're dying.   
> Tumblr: shykylosolo.tumblr.com 
> 
> Title is from Hozier's Like Real People Do   
> (we should just kiss like real people do) 
> 
> Written pretty quickly so sorry if there's any tense issues. Please let me know if you find any mistakes! Also, if you like this fic I also have a Reylo chaptered fic called Ice, Ice Baby so feel free to check that out!


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